Digital Devon 2026: Event Recap From Headline Sponsor

On Tuesday 9th June 2026, members of the Optimising IT team were proud to support Digital Devon as a headline sponsor. Held at the Riviera Centre in Torquay, the Digital Devon event brought speakers, workshops and exhibitors from a range of organisations together to answer a key question, ‘how do I take my business into the digital future?’

We’d like to personally thank everyone we spoke to during the event and our workshops. It truly was a fantastic day with different SMEs, cyber security professionals, business leaders and other organisations discussing digital acceleration and AI adoption.

Supporting Digital Devon as Headline Sponsor

As a leading certified B Corp company, we love to seek opportunities to help other organisations understand the value of social responsibility and best practices. The Digital Devon event was an ideal platform for our team to showcase our knowledge and expertise on the current technological landscape, and discuss the importance of following inclusive digital practices and how to prepare for the digital future, with AI governance being a hot topic of discussion. 

As a headline sponsor of the Digital Devon event, we were able to follow our commitment to supporting organisations with technology, innovation and transformation. A big aim of the event was to ensure no business in Devon is left behind as technology and AI continue to reshape productivity, security and governance. 

A Fantastic Day for Devon’s Business Community

Attendees for the event came from all across the UK, many of whom are business leaders, SMEs and public sector organisations. Engagement was turned up to eleven thanks to a range of structured talks and workshops, two of which we held during the day. Each attendee also received a Digital Devon Wayfinder Guide, that acts as a practical roadmap to help businesses implement the ideal next steps in digital development. 

It was an opportunity for our team and everyone attending to connect with experts, exhibitors and fellow organisations. Everyone there shared the belief that technology must support people first, and speaking with different people face-to-face was one of the best ways for us to network and share knowledge. 

Key Themes From Digital Devon

The key theme of Digital Devon was to learn how to make digital and AI work for your business. Our Exeter and Gloucester teams attended the event, alongside our partners Pax8 and Huntress, to deliver interactive workshops discussing the reality of AI cyber attacks, as well as ‘Why Business Premium Makes a Difference’, covering the benefits of Microsoft 365 Business Premium. 

We explored both sides of the coin of AI, detailing how it can enhance productivity and efficiency on a day-to-day basis for businesses, as well as navigating the risks the technology brings with it. This was our second workshop of the day, titled ‘Detect Me If You Can, Revealing the Word of Stealthy Hackers!’. Key talking points included:

• Identity theft is getting easier, faster and more scalable
• Attackers are actively exploiting trust, not just systems
• Use cases on the dark side of AI and how hackers are using it as part of their attacks everyday

We’ve explored one of these risks in a recent article on shadow AI. The point of these workshops was to raise as much awareness as possible, leaving attendees to walk away with practical insight on how to better tackle security and governance.  

Thank You To Our Partners

We couldn’t have had a more successful day without our partners. 

Alex Chestnutt and Jack Miles from Pax8 joined our very own Managing Director, Todd Gifford, during our first workshop, exploring Microsoft 365 Business Premium, and the importance of MFA, compliance and user protection. 

We’d also like to thank Sasha Roshan from Huntress who took the lead in our second workshop. His expertise on the threats of AI and how criminals are using the technology to target organisations is second to none. 

Together, the Optimising IT team and our sponsors raised awareness far and wide, helping different people and businesses discover how to remain safe and compliant. 

The Optimising IT Team at Digital Devon

We had several members of the Optimising IT team attend Digital Devon, each bringing real-world knowledge to deliver the main aim of the event – to help Devon businesses tick off the steps to digital success. A big thanks to each of our team members who attended:

• Todd Gifford – Managing Director
• Bradlei Davison – Regional Sales Manager
• Daniel Grinnell – 3rd Line Team Lead
• Annie Atkins – Senior Marketing Executive
• Helen Laugharne – Business Manager
• Simon Raymont – 3rd Line IT Technician

Looking Ahead

We want to finish by saying a huge thank you to the Devon Chamber of Commerce for organising Digital Devon, and letting us be a headline sponsor and exhibitor. It was a brilliant day speaking with many of the thousand-plus attendees, making new partnerships and raising crucial awareness on the digital landscape of 2026 and beyond. 

We will continue to sponsor and attend events just like this one in the future, supporting our commitment to aiding businesses across Devon and the South West. For any IT support your business can benefit from, or for leading advice on subjects like AI, cyber security and technology that puts people first, contact us today.